1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to an information display apparatus and an information display method. More specifically, the present invention is directed to display both a traveling condition in front of the own vehicle and a navigation information in a superimposing mode.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, specific attentions have been paid to an information display apparatus in which a traveling condition in front of the own vehicle is displayed on a display unit mounted on the own vehicle in combination with a navigation information. For instance, Japanese Laid-open patent Application No. Hei-11-250396 (hereinafter referred as a patent publication 1) discloses a display apparatus for vehicle in which an infrared partial image, corresponding to a region where the own vehicle is traveled, in an infrared image photographed by using an infrared camera, is displayed on a display screen so that the partial infrared image is superimposed on a map image. In accordance with the patent publication 1, since such an infrared partial image, from which an image portion having a low necessity has been cut, is superimposed on the map image, sorts and dimensions of obstructions can be readily recognized, and thus, recognizing characteristics of targets can be improved. On the other hand, Japanese Laid-open patent Application No 2002-46504 (hereinafter referred as a patent publication 2) discloses a cruising control apparatus having an information display apparatus by which positional information as to a peripheral-traveling vehicle and a following vehicle with respect to the own vehicle are superimposed on a road shape produced from a map information, and then, the resulting image is displayed on the display screen. In accordance with the patent publication 2, a mark indicative of the own vehicle position, a mark representative of a position of the following vehicle, and a mark indicative of a position of the peripheral-traveling vehicle other than the following vehicle are displayed so that colors and patterns of these marks are changed with respect to each other and these marks are superimposed on a road image.
However, according to the patent publication 1, the infrared image is merely displayed, and the user recognizes the obstructions from the infrared image which is dynamically changed. Also, according to the patent publication 2, although the own vehicle, the following vehicle, and the peripheral-traveling vehicle are displayed in different display modes, other necessary information than the above-described display information cannot be acquired.
Further, according to the methods disclosed in the patent publication 1 and patent publication 2, there are some possibilities that a color of a target actually located in front of the own vehicle does not correspond to a color of a target displayed on the display apparatus. As a result, a coloration difference between both these colors may possibly give a sense of incongruity to a user. These information display apparatus have been conducted as apparatus designed so as to achieve safety and comfortable drives. User friendly degrees of these apparatus may constitute added values, and thus, may conduct purchasing desires of users. As a consequence, in these sorts of apparatus, higher user friendly functions and unique functions are required.